The Second Adventure by Gordon Korman

T he small screen showed the two-lane road cutting a ribbon through the trees as far as the electronic eye could see. Phone in hand, Melissa watched intently.
    Logan peered over her shoulder. “Don’t tell me you hacked into a satellite.”
    Melissa agitated her head, creating gaps in the curtain of hair that usually obscured her face. “Of course not. I’ve just placed a few wireless webcams in the trees.” She tapped the screen, and the angle changed slightly.
    Logan yawned hugely. “It’s too early. How come these plans can’t happen at a decent hour? An actor needs plenty of rest to practice his craft to the best of his ability.”
    Melissa was patient. “The pantry truck doesn’t make its run on our schedule. It delivers to all the camps up here at the crack of dawn so everything is ready before the kids get up.”
    â€œI’m not feeling my character,” Logan warned.
    â€œYou don’t have to win an Oscar,” Melissa soothed. “You just have to get the driver to stop.” She tensed. “Get ready. Half a mile.”
    Sure enough, the white panel truck had appeared in the distance on the monitor.
    â€œAll right, I’ll do it,” Logan conceded. “But it won’t be art.”
    Melissa stepped back into the cover of the trees. “Break a leg,” she whispered.
    Logan stood a little taller. It was the standard good-luck message for an actor about to take the stage.
    He could see the vehicle now, and hear its motor shifting into second gear as it climbed the grade. Logan waited until it was about a hundred yards away, and then stepped out into the road, waving his arms, the picture of confusion.
    The truck jerked to a sudden halt, and the driver jumped out. “What’s the matter, kid? Are you okay?”
    It was just the cue line Logan had been waiting for. “I — I’m not sure.” He stared at the man blankly. “What am I doing here? I was in bed a minute ago, and — I must have been sleepwalking!”
    The man looked shaken. “It’s a good thing I was paying attention. I could have run you down. Can I get you a bottle of water? I’ve got some in the back —”
    â€œNo!” Logan exclaimed, a little too sharply.
    If the driver had turned around at that instant, he would have seen Melissa helping Griffin, Savannah, and Luthor out the rear of the payload. It was terrible acting, but it kept the man’s attention on Logan instead of the great escape that was taking place behind him.
    â€œWhat I mean is —” Logan stammered, recovering — “I’m fine now. I’m sorry for stopping you.” Luthor and the three kids were almost in the cover of the trees. “You can go.”
    No sooner were the words out of his mouth than Griffin tripped on a rut and went sprawling headfirst.
    â€œOn second thought, I’m feeling woozy again!” Logan fairly bellowed.
No actor should have to work under these conditions. Johnny Depp would never put up with it.
    Logan watched, wide-eyed, as the girls dragged Griffin out of sight, Luthor trotting by their side. Was that a Care Bears shirt Griffin was wearing? Who was in charge of wardrobe for this operation? Not anybody with the right to call himself The Man With The Plan.
    â€œWhoops, false alarm,” Logan announced as soon as the others were out of sight.
    â€œGet in the truck,” the man offered. “Let me give you a ride home. Are you from that theatre camp?”
    Logan’s actor’s preparation had not included that question. “Of course —” he stammered — “not.” The last thing they needed was a concerned truck driver asking questions about a kid wandering out on the road at six o’clock in the morning. “Bye!”
    He ran off into the woods, leaving the man scratching his head.
    When Logan rejoined the team at a small clearing in the cover of the woods,